"In a commander a bold act may prove to be a blunder. Nevertheless it is a laudable error, not to be regarded on the same footing as others. Happy the army where ill-timed boldness occurs frequently; it is a luxuriant weed, but indicates the richness of the soil. Even foolhardiness— that is, boldness without object—is not to be despised: basically it stems from daring, which in this case has erupted with a passion unrestrained by thought. Only when boldness rebels against obedience, when it defiantly ignores an expressed command, must it be treated as a dangerous offense; then it must be prevented, not for its innate qualities, but because an order has been disobeyed, and in war obedience is of cardinal importance.” -- Clausewitz
Boldness is to be encouraged even when it makes mistakes. But boldness only grows in an atmosphere rich in mercy. If you promote efficiency over ingenuity, you will inhibit the development of boldness and you cannot simply demand boldness from men from whom you've demanded caution.
It is better to encourage boldness and endure the presence of its besetting sins than to discourage it and end up regretting its absence
In other words, bold activity is better than timid passivity.
However, boldness should only be fanned into flame provided it does not accompany disobedience... while ill-timed boldness may be a luxury, obedience is a necessity.
If the soil is intolerant of error, it removes the organ yet demands the function. It says, "Stop breaking things!" in times of peace and then demands, "Go break stuff!" in times of war.
If we want to raise a generation of chivalrous men, we must provide room to make mistakes and praise of the boldness that produced them.
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